Storytelling in the world of the Sims

THOTB-8.11

The History of Twin Bayous – Welcome Home

Very early the next day, we were both up and, or so I thought, ready to hit the road, but Wendy reminded me that yesterday I had agreed to stay in Moonshine Falls for at least a few days. I told her that I was only kidding and that I did, of course, remember what I had said.

We went back to the diner that was only a few yards behind the town’s motel. For breakfast, we had cheese-steak sandwiches. I pretended not like my sandwich and Wendy thought that perhaps there was something wrong with me. I do that because I like it when she worries about me.

Afterwards Wendy asked me to drive her back to the real estate office that we visited the previous afternoon. The building complex we went to was known as the “Ringwald Block”. Suddenly it hit me that something strange was going on here… Ringwald, Clemens, Goombah, … these were names that I recognized from Twin Bayous. There were too many coincidences. I said nothing to Wendy. I just shook my head.

Outside the Ringwald Real Estate office, I waited in the car while Wendy got out to see if the person she was looking for was in the office. She, the person that Wendy was hoping to see, was not in the office.

The woman’s assistant told Wendy that the person could be found at the town’s gym on the eastern side of town.

Wendy went into the gym ahead of me. She seemed very eager to see the person whom she was told was here.

When Wendy saw the woman whom she sought, running on a treadmill, she called out: “Hello Celia! Do you remember me?”

At first the woman seemed a little dazed and confused as though she did not know who Wendy was. But being the consummate saleswoman, Celia (Dubois) Ringwald was gracious and asked how she might help the woman who had just interrupted her work-out.

Wendy was not the least bit phased that Mrs. Ringwald did not recognize her and she jumped right into her supposed purposed for tracking down the woman. Wendy asked about the mansion that we had they passed on the highway just outside of town. “Is it for sale?” asked Wendy.

Mrs. Ringwald responded: “I think it may be out of your price range, Miss… I’m sorry I did not catch your name.”

To which Wendy shot back: “I do not think that you know what my price range is, Celia. Is it for sale or not?”

Wendy confirmed for Celia that she was in fact the person in question, but instead of making small talk and playing catch-up, she continued to ask about the mansion. This, of course, peaked Celia’s interest and she was obviously more interested in the prospect of making a sale than she was in reminiscing with Wendy.

(I learned later that Wendy and Celia had had a complicated past and that is all that I will say about that for now.)

After Wendy pressed the real estate agent once more about the status of the empty mansion, Celia responded with a weary sigh: “It is for sale, but it is complicated. The house is still owned by my husband and my sister-in-law Mrs. Gentille. They would both need to approve any offer and that could take some time. I just want to warn you of that. If you like I can work on the offer for you, and in the meantime, we could look at some rentals.”

Mrs. Ringwald read out to Wendy the address of a house in town and before she completed, Wendy responded “We’ll take it!”

Uffda: Interjection signifying exhaustion, weariness, resignation, or overwhelm, especially used by those of Norwegian descent; see 'oofda'. (The Norwegian-American slang equivalent of the Yiddish term oy.) Black: Me